Patriots 37, Bills 31: 5 Things We Learned

Five things we learned from the Patriots' unexpectedly dramatic 37-31 win over the Bills Sunday afternoon in Foxboro.

Patriot defense continues to bend and almost break

If there is one thing you can't knock the Patriots defense for, it's being inconsistent. Week in and week out, the Patriots defense mixes in incredibly frustrating plays with huge game-changing stops — it makes them just as exciting as they are infuriating. They continued this trend against the Bills on Sunday giving up 31 points along with 481 yards while also allowing Buffalo to convert on 7-of-11 third down attempts.

Meanwhile, the defense also came through with three critical turnovers that ended up being the difference in the game. The first came in the opening quarter when Vince Wilfork blew up the Bills offensive line to strip Ryan Fitzpatrick and set up the Patriot offense for an easy touchdown drive. Devin McCourty delivered the next two turnovers, first stripping Fred Jackson on the 1 before putting a bow on the victory with a game-ending interception in the end zone with 23 seconds left.

"We know that no matter what happens in the game, there's nothing bigger than turnovers. Whatever way the game goes, you have to pull out the close ones," McCourty said. "I think that shows the true characteristics of a team when you're in a close battle and you have to fight down in the fourth quarter with two minutes to go and you have to win. Someone has to make a big play, someone has to play and play great."

Tom Brady missed another chance to work on his Mariano Rivera impression.

In the first half on Sunday the Patriots were putting points on the board like they were playing on rookie level in the Madden video game. New England scored 24 points in the first two quarters, scoring on each of its first four possessions with drives of 48, 13, 83 and 82 yards. In the second half the Patriots offense slowed down a bit — scoring 13 points — but had a key chance to put the game away on their final drive and just couldn't finish the Bills off.

Leading 34-31, Tom Brady and the Patriots offense took the field with the ball on the 32-yard line and 7:47 left in the game. New England did a masterful job of moving up the field and killing clock with a combination of short Brady passes and Stevan Ridley runs to get to a third and goal on the Bills nine. On the third down play, Brady dropped back to pass, rolled out to avoid the rush and saw Danny Woodhead open in the end zone but skipped the pass to him, forcing the Patriots to settle for the field goal instead of getting what would have been a game-ending touchdown.

"It's frustrating when we don't play as well as we're capable of but that's part of the game and part of the mental toughness of the game is to put those things behind you and to keep playing hard," Brady said. "I had an opportunity to (finish the game) but didn't and the defense really saved the day."

You can always count on the Bills to beat themselves.

Under Bill Belichick, the Patriots have always been the epitome of discipline both on and off the football field. It is what we have come to expect — but watching the Bills on Sunday can really make you appreciate the tight ship run in New England. The Bills put on a clinic of how to give away a game on the road, committing one brutal penalty after another. Buffalo racked up 14 penalties totaling 148 yards, including two separate pass interference calls in the endzone that gave the Patriots the ball at the one-yard line.

The Patriots are one of the top teams in the league in terms of penalties, averaging just six per game and continued that trend on Sunday with seven. New England may get beat from time to time but very rarely do you see them beat themselves.

Stevan Ridley's consistency is a strength.

With each and every carry, Stevan Ridley continues to carve his name onto the list of elite running backs in Patriots history. In just his second year, Ridley is on pace for the fourth-best rushing season in team history after another strong game against the Bills. He has clearly taken over as the workhorse back and continues to produce, this time carrying the rock 22 times for 98 yards and a touchdown.

After nine games Ridley is now on pace for 1,447 yards which would trail just Corey Dillon (1,635), Curtis Martin (1,487) and Jim Nance (1,458) for the most ever by a Patriot. He is also averaging a robust 4.8 yards per carry and appears to have put some of those fumbling issues behind him, going four straight games without losing the ball.

The fat lady is singing in the AFC East.

It may have taken a little bit longer than expected but after 10 weeks the Patriots are exactly where we thought they would be — in complete control of the AFC East. With the win on Sunday, Tom Brady improved to 20-2 against the Bills in his career and the team seems to have all but locked up the division.

The Patriots now stand at 6-3 and the only team that seemed to be able to threaten them — the Miami Dolphins — was obliterated by the Tennessee Titans in a 37-3 drubbing on Sunday to fall two games back. While there is still a way to go in the season, it appears that one of the surest bets in sports will continue — the Patriots should cruise to another division title.